Capacity Workbench

The Capacity Workbench component shows the information that is required for planners or purchasers to make decisions. In the Capacity Workbench, you can make many decisions, perform simulations and view the consequences.

The Capacity Workbench component shows the aggregated data for the operations and the orders to which they belong. A hierarchical list shows up to five aggregation levels. The information is presented in user-defined time buckets, for example, using a two-week bucket. Critical materials can be displayed. Using the Planned and Latest tabs, you can display the list based on the Planned start or the Latest start.

A scout function allows focusing, for example, on customer number or delay.

To view the planned load, you can perform these operations:
  • You can decide the number of levels to display.
  • You can zoom in or out of the levels.
  • You can scroll forward or backward in the time buckets.

You can allow overload. You can split orders. You can set and reset forced resources. From the Workbench, you can access the Work Center Resource, the Supply Chain Navigator, the Utilization, the Work Center Schedule and the Material Control.

From the Workbench - Selection panel, you can select this information:
  • The work centers or the work center resources to include in the Capacity Workbench report
  • The time frame
  • The report type
  • The grouping, sorting, output, and aggregations of the operations that are included in the report.

If you select grouping criteria for the operations, then only the operations that are distributed in the folders that match the grouping criterion are displayed. In this example, you select Work center resource. One folder for each of the selected Work center resources is displayed. For example, the folders Sew 1, Sew 2, and Sew 3 are displayed. Each folder contains the operations that are scheduled on it.

To apply a more specific grouping, you can combine up to five different grouping criteria. If you select several criteria, then the number of folders is increased and the report is more complicated. In this example, you have selected the criteria Work center resource and Due date. The operations are displayed in the folders that contain the operations that have both same Work center resource and due date. For example, the folders Sew 1 / 12 07, Sew 1 / 13 07, Sew 1 / 14 07, Sew 2 / 12 07, Sew 2 / 13 07, and Sew 2 / 14 07 are displayed.

You can choose to display the folders in ascending or descending order. Using several grouping criteria, you can select ascending or descending sorting for each of the criteria independently. Using the previous example, you can sort the work center resources "Sew 1", "Sew 2", and "Sew 3" in the ascending order. You can sort the due dates "14 07", "13 07", and "12 07" in the descending order.

The load of each operation is always displayed but, for the selected groupings, you can select the output to display. For example, you can the "Accumulated remaining capacity" for the selected work center resources. You can choose up to five different outputs to display as individual lines in the report. The selected output is aggregated for each of the selected groupings.

You can select the unit of measure (U/M) for all the outputs that use the Report U/M. You can select the U/M for individual outputs. The settings overview is facilitated by the display of the output types and the U/M as symbols.

To optimize the report readability, you can select the text style and coloring. To highlight delayed or too early operations and overload, you can use coloring. To distinguish operations according to their markings, for example, a changed due date, you can use normal order coloring.

From the Capacity Workbench, you can also run a selected workflow. For example, you can perform a simulation after several changes and view the consequences for the plan.

View Control

From the Agg 1 tab, you can select this information:
  • The data for the Capacity Workbench report
  • The criteria to be used for aggregation
  • How the report must be displayed

On the Agg 1 tab you can define the information for the first aggregation level. On the Agg 2, Agg 3, Agg 4, Agg 5, and Operations tabs, you can define additional aggregation levels and the operation information.

For the first level of aggregation, you can select up to five different grouping criteria. For example, you can select Work center resource and Included-in-W/C, and select the sorting order for the selected data. You can also select up to five different outputs for each of the selected grouping criteria, for example, Load, Capacity, and Remaining capacity. Instead of using the Report U/M, You can select a unit of measure (U/M) independently for the selected outputs. Additionally, you can decide the layout of the report, for example, text color, bold text font, and separator lines, to optimize report readability.

To the left of the Agg 1 tab title, a mark might be displayed. A checkmark shows that the tab is active, for example, because an item has been selected on the tab. The normal green light diode shows that the settings on the tab differ from the settings of the default behavior. If both criteria are met, then the checkmark is displayed.

Note: 
  • The first selected grouping criterion determines the available outputs.
  • Before you select the grouping, sorting, output, and aggregations to use to show the operations in the report, you must select this information on the Primary tab:
    • The work centers or work center resources to include in the Capacity Workbench report
    • The time frame
    • The report type

Loading Information

This panel shows the Capacity Workbench Report. This report is a hierarchy of aggregation levels. This hierarchy shows operations in time buckets. The operations are grouped, sorted, and selected as defined in the Capacity Workbench - Setup panels.

The report can display up to five aggregation levels plus the operation level. Each aggregation level has a folder symbol. The selected aggregation is displayed in the folder line. The underlying aggregation levels are displayed indented under each other.

To display a tooltip, move the pointer over an aggregation icon or an operation icon. For aggregations, the grouping information that is selected on the aggregation levels is displayed. For operations, the additional information that is selected on the Operations tab is displayed.

The Planned tab shows a report that is based on the operations' planned start. The Latest tab uses the operations' latest start. The report shows the delay, the capacity, and the planned quantities. You can to highlight important areas by means of text style and coloring. The Scout function allows focusing, for example, on customer number or delay. You can zoom in or out. You can decide the number of levels to display. You can adjust capacity. You can split orders. You can set and reset forced resources. From the Workbench, you can access the Supply Chain Navigator and the other relevant working areas.

You can also run a selected workflow from the Capacity Workbench. For example, you can perform a simulation after several changes and view the consequences for the plan.

Note: In the Capacity Workbench all capacity before the Schedule start is zero. If the Schedule start is after the Bucket start, then the first bucket capacity is reduced. The reason is that the capacity of the bucket part that lies before Schedule start is zero. If a Planned capacity adjustment is performed in a bucket that includes Schedule start, then the Planned capacity adjustment first begins at the Schedule start instead of the Bucket start.

Column Headings

Heading Description
(Aggregation levels) This column heading shows the selected aggregation levels. The symbol to the left of each line identifies the line type.
Out The symbols show the output type that is selected for each line.
U/M The symbol shows the unit of measure that is used for the output.
Order marking This column heading is an optional output that is selected on Color behavior tab.
Color coding 1 This column heading is an optional output that is selected on Color behavior tab.
Color coding 2 This column heading is an optional output that is selected on Color behavior tab.
Color coding 3 This column heading is an optional output that is selected on Color behavior tab.
Graphics This column heading shows a graphical view of data that is accessible as a tooltip.
(Time buckets) According to the selected Bucket Definition ID, the lines in these ten columns show the value for ten buckets. The Report start, the Time U/M, and the Bucket definition ID are defined on the Primary tab. The date, the week number, or the month number, depending on the selected bucket unit, and the year are displayed above each bucket column.

Symbols and buttons

See the symbol and button tooltips in the application.